An Interest Worth Knowing
by SadisticKittens
Summary: Day in and day out, the nightmares plague Vincent's every thought, at least when Catherine and Katherine aren't involved. If it's not them he wants, then who? Does our sheep even know yet?
1. Chapter 1

It was another late night drinking alone. The guys had long since returned home, leaving him to dwell in the mess he found himself. In the near distance, Vincent could hear the chatter of Erica and the boss as the gender-changed woman helped herself to a glass of whiskey- she was probably prattling on about rumors again. Sighing to himself, Vincent stood up and drunkenly headed towards the bathroom with the need to freshen up.

Inside the dingy room, the lone light bulb positioned above the mirror flickered eerily. With a trip and a step later, he found himself running the cool stream of tap water over his hands before cupping a handful and splashing it over his face. The drunken man gasped at the shock of cold water and raised his head to look in the mirror, stray droplets dripping lazily down his face and the ends of his hair that got in the way.

All seemed normal in the man's reflection, all except for his recently adorned pale complexion. He frowned at himself. It was all thanks to these stupid nightmares night after night that he looked like this. The worst part was that he couldn't remember what happened in any of them; it was frustrating. With a grunt of annoyance he shoved his face back towards the still running water, splashing his face again. It was in this state that he heard a shrill laughter. _"Ahaha."_ Gasping, Vincent yanked his head back up and stared in the mirror. It was but a glance, but he could have sworn he saw something. That's when he heard it, the voice.

 _"You, get it right?"_ There was a momentary pause as the rhetorical question was allowed to sink in. _"The stage tonight is inquisition. Hurry up. You'll be judged there."_

Vincent startled. "Am I seeing things?" He questioned himself, becoming wary of his judgment in this drunken haze. _'I should probably head home now...'_

"Hey, are you leaving?" Erica approached him in between tables as his hand touched the door.

"Huh? Uh, yeah. I'm calling it a night, maybe go home and drink there before bed."

"Alright, well... be careful going home."

He nodded at her half-heartedly. "I will."

"There you are. Tonight's stage is Inquisition." A voice spoke from everywhere and no where all at once. It annoyed him how familiar the unidentified male's voice was becoming to him. Thinking back to when he was at the bar earlier, he was now able to identify the voice he thought he heard in the bathroom as this oddly cheerful individual's voice. _'Is that bastard following me outside of my dreams now too!?'_ Vincent internally raged, his jaw clenching uncomfortably as an unusual flutter irritated his stomach. He chose to ignore the sensation and continue forward with the other scared and confused sheep.

"What is this place?" He questioned aloud, gazing upwards at the usual intimidating blocks that now seemed to be in a different area altogether. A few cubes above him, on either side, were two larger sheep with spears. _'Where did they get those?'_ Vincent climbed up those first cubes and made to move past the first one when it appeared to purposely move in front him, barring his path. "Um, excuse me..." He tried to reason, but his words fell on deaf ears as the other ignored him.

Frowning, the afro-headed male made to move around him in an opposite direction when, yet again the sheep blocked his path. _'I don't have time for this.'_ He looked back and saw the quickly crumbling cubes beneath them getting ever closer. As his head was turned, the sheep plowed into him. He lost his balance and fell over, landing on the next set of cubes below. That's when Vincent made a decision, _'It's a dog-eat-dog world here, just like the tie-wearing sheep said.'_

After what seemed like hours of grueling free-climbing, Vincent's ears perked as he heard the first dings of the bell. _'I'm home free now!'_ He internally cheered, mustering up more stamina to race up those last few blocks. _Ding. Ding._ "I made it!" _Ding. Ding._ Vincent made a mad dash up the newly acquired blocks and hurried his way to the temporary safe zone where the other sheep rested before venturing on to the next block challenge.

At the top of the steps sat a heavy-set sheep with a belt and a police cap atop its head. "I can't believe I'm having these dreams..." He heard the sheep mutter to itself as he walked past him. As he walked around the clearing he heard a number of sheep muttering to themselves.

"I'll get her back."

"Eaaagh!"

"Hey."

"Uwaah!"

"I should be going soon."

"Hello."

"Ugh."

"Hehehe."

Vincent was in amazement at how much these sheep- er, human's- personalities differed from one another. Some were so terrified and shocked that they couldn't hold in their screams while others were enjoying the climb, eager to push off any sheep that got to close. Vincent scratched absently around the horns that appeared only in these nightmares before heading into the confessional.

The booth was as small and cramped as it normally was and, just like he had the first few times, approached the window first before sitting. He was beginning to enjoy irritating the mysterious voice whenever he found the chance. "How much longer are we going to play this game?"

"Stop complaining and sit _down_." Vincent could hear the bite at the end of the other's voice and had to stop himself from smirking as he followed the command.

"Here you are lost lamb. You're quite good to have made it past those blocks." The voice never failed to compliment his success at scaling the crumbling wall of blocks each night. "Now, here's the question."

:Who is more your type, Catherine or Katherine?:

The usual set of ropes dropped before him as the room seemed to darken a few degrees. As much as Vincent loved Katherine, the physical attraction he felt for Catherine was undeniable. After being with his girlfriend for a good many years, the excitement had all but left the bedroom. If he was being truthful- and he was- his answer was Catherine. The ropes disintegrated into dust and the room regained its unnatural glow.

"You chose that one." The voice commented. "I'm slowly starting to know you better!" He seemed gleeful by that, somehow. _'Weird.'_ "Now this is the fourth floor. If you keep on going up, you'll be out of here in no time. You'll be going soon." And with that the confessional box rose up and up, ascending to the second and last floor of Inquisition. He stepped out of the box.

"Daaaah." A hoarse voice shrieked. "Daaaaaddy."

"Yeah, that's not creepy at all." Vincent startled as he caught a glimpse of the deformed looking infant that screamed after him.

"Daaaaaddy!" It wailed.

"Stay away from me!" He yelled behind him as he began scrambling up the blocks, terrified of the creature darting after him.

:The Child has appeared. It is the killer, do not die:

Cube after cube he climbed- pushing, shoving, and pulling as needed.

"Daaaaady!" He heard it's constant cries if anger. "Eaaaugh!"

A flash of light sped past him, physically crashing into the block he had just hopped off of. _'Thank God, I moved.'_ He breathed out in an anguished manner, continuing his climb up the wall.

"Wait for me! Dah, dah, dah." The wall trembled under the giant infant's tantrum.

One more pulled block and he would reach the top.

"Daaaaaddy!"

"Not again." He groaned, standing on the final box.

"Daaaaaddy!"

His hand grasped the door handle. "Get back, you Hellspawn!" He yanked the door open, the almost holy light piercing the darkness and burning into the infant's eyes.

"Eaaaugh!"

Stay away!" He shouted, ducking low to allow more light to touch the monster.

"Ahhgh!" It screamed, skin burning and cracking before falling back into the pits from which it came.

"I did it." Vincent's eyes widened happily. "It's gone." A smile spread across his face. "Yeah, baby. I beat this thing!" A full grown grin stretched across his face as he walked through the doorway.

"Congratulations are in order for your skills. The Inquisition was unable to extract your secrets." The mysterious voice spoke.


	2. Chapter 2

It was back to the bar again this night. Orlando was working overtime and Toby was out shopping, so that just left him and Johnny tonight. The poor guy was obviously not getting a good night's rest, just like him and Orlando, and it was starting to worry Erica. The girl kept pestering about his friend's well-being. Even though he was worried about the other man too, it was starting to get annoying. After Johnny's out of place reminiscing and avoidance of discussing his mysterious girlfriend, the conversation died. Vincent took that chance to go to the bathroom. His face felt grimy with sweat from the day.

 _Splash._ Water droplets cascaded down his face before dropping back into the basin and escaping down the drain.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw what looked like red liquid running down the top mirror. "Whoa!" He jumped backwards, eyes shooting fully towards his reflection. Other than the usual speckles of dirt, there was nothing on the mirror.

"Am I getting tired?" He mused out loud.

 _"Hehehe. It's scary, isn't it?"_ An unallocated voice asked.

"...This voice. Huh?" Vincent looked around in confusion, seeing no one. _'What's wrong with me? These nightmares must really be getting to me.'_

 _"I'll be waiting for you at the quadrangle. You'll be frozen with fear."_ There it was again! It even sounded giddy. Vincent craned his neck every which way in hope of seeing someone, even going as far to open the stall door and peering inside.

Realizing no one was there, Vincent closed the stall door behind him and slumped on the toilet. _'What is wrong with me?!'_

 _Beep. Beep. Beep._

"Huh?" Vincent dug out his cell phone and flipped it open.

:From Catherine

Hey, Vinny! I hope you're not at work still. I decided to drop by, but you weren't there. Guess where I'm headed now? Also! Here's a treat to give you a taste of what's in store for tonight. ;)

-attachment1:

The afro-headed man audibly gulped before clicking on the attachment. What he saw made his mouth turn uncomfortably dry and his cheeks to grow warm. It was Catherine wearing nothing but a bathrobe that clung deliciously to each and every curb. The belt was loosely down, allowing the top edges to slide open and reveal the voluptuous curves of her breasts.

When he exited the bathroom, Erica immediately approached him. "Wow, you don't look so hot... You should go home and get some rest."

"I know..." He stuffed his hands in his pockets and glanced down at the floor. "Hey, about my bill..."

"Yeah, yeah, I know. Put it on your tab, right? Just go home and get some rest." She ordered.

"Thanks."

"Tonight we visit the Quadrangle. I didn't expect you to get this high." The voice spoke as he and the rest of the sheep were herded towards the new stage.

"Huh, snow?" Vincent looked upwards as snowflakes fell around him, a few landing softly on his eyelashes, causing his eyelids to flutter. "Shit it's cold... I'm going to freeze to death!" His arms wrapped protectively around his waist as a shiver rippled through his body.

"Well, the only way to get my blood pumping now is to start climbing." And climb he did. Immediately he noticed the difference in this stage compared to the previous ones; the majority of this one was made of ice blocks. One wrong footing could be the end for him.

As he neared the top, he came to a halt as he heard the yelling of one of the sheep. Looking towards the higher levels, he watched as a sheep slid uncontrollably across the leveled ice, scratching and clawing at the surface in the false hopes of saving himself. It was too late for the lonely sheep as it pummeled over the edge, screaming as if his life depended on it. Too bad for the sheep that screaming couldn't save someone. With a momentary look of grief for the lost sheep, Vincent climbed and climbed until finally, the bell began to chime. The top approached and the rope dropped down for him to grab.

"You survived again. Not bad, not bad." Vincent heard the shocked voice gently applaud, the rope dragging him to the safe haven of the platform above.

There was a new sheep up top, this one looking very intimidating. It was, quite literally, the black sheep of the herd. Its coat was the ashen color of soot, his horns jutting dangerously outwards instead of curled and tamed like the others. To really top off the foreboding sheep's look, he carried a blood covered war hammer that was roughly equal in size to his burly stature.

"If women weren't around, men would live like gods. And where women are around, men are made foolish. I won't return to that reality. Hehehe." The black sheep spoke in its menacing tone, insanity seeping through the very pores of the creature.

"What's with that guy?" Vincent muttered to himself. Ignoring most of the moaning and groaning of the other sheep, occasionally offering words of encouragement as needed before heading towards the confessional.

As always, he approached the small window, hoping to catch a glance at this mystery man. He could only just barely see the outline of his head, his features being shrouded in shadows despite the light shining through. "Just who ARE you?" Vincent demanded, curiosity getting the best of him. "Why are you doing this?"

"Haha... I could explain but I doubt you would understand." The voice teased before his tone turned stern. "In any case, sit _down_ if you want to talk." Doing as he was told, Vincent plopped down with a huff. "I see you made it past the slippery ground, you're already on the fifth floor. Good job. It's question time."

:If you had a child, would you want him or her to be like you?:

One of me is enough, is the answer he chose.

"Hehe, that one huh?" The voice sounded thoughtful. "I see... but whatever. You're free to answer how you choose."

Vincent wasn't sure if that meant the other was disappointed in his answer or not. Yet, somehow, imagining that the owner of the voice was disappointed in him made his stomach twist uncomfortably. _'What is wrong with me, lately?'_

"This discussion is over, let's go." The voice interrupted his inner dilemma, making him wonder if he missed out on part of the conversation. Before he could question, the confessional shot upwards to the next floor.

"Him again? _Fuck_." The afro-headed man cursed at the sight of the other sheep on the same level of the wall as him. Due to the surface being covered in ice, Vincent didn't have to wait long before the sheep lost its footing and slid across the ice, toppling over the edge before he, himself, had to do it for him.

As he climbed higher and higher, the black-haired male noticed that this floor had even more ice blocks than the last one. He almost lost his footing quite a few times before the bell finally started chiming his arrival. "The bell... I'm going to make it!" He cheered himself on.

With a push of a block here and a pull of a block there, he made it to the top where he found himself unable to continue. His hopes almost plummeted until he remembered the cubic device he had found on an earlier part of the wall. He hurriedly utilized the device and created a cube that allowed him to climb to the pinnacle of the wall and grasp the rope that hung down for him. "Yes, I made it!"

"Delightful! It was a sight to see." Came the mysterious voice above the chiming of the bell.

 _'Of course it was "delightful" for you to see... What am I, your favorite t.v. show or something?!'_ Vincent scowled at the voice, his excitement over reaching the top already dissipating.

The sheep seemed to be dwindling these days; Vincent wasn't sure if they just weren't proceeding as fast as him, or if they were really dying off. The smoking sheep was wallowing in his own musings in the far corner, as always. Closer to the confessional was the sheep two sheep who always discussed climbing strategies with one another, while the rest of the sheep were fairly plain and unrecognizable.

Vincent made to go straight for the confessional but as soon as he went to take his first step, his head seemed to gain an extra five pounds and his eyesight began to blur. "W-what?" He staggered to left and right in an attempt to catch his balance before collapsing on the ground, cradling his head in his arms. He watched through confused eyes as the scenery contorted and twisted into blurred, rudimentary shapes.

 _"Well this is disappointing."_ A voice spoke sadly.

The next thing he knew, his vision went black and then he was bolting upright in bed.

"Oh, did I wake you?" A sickly sweet voice whispered beside him.

"Huh?" He looked over and saw baby blue eyes surrounded by springs of blonde staring at him.

"By the time I got to the bar, you had already left." Catherine twirled a strand of hair between her thumb and forefinger in her usual sultry manner. "The bartender told me you had gone home already, so I came back, realizing I just missed you."

"Why didn't you wait until tomorrow when I could have told you where to meet me?" He asked in exasperation. Why was he always waking up next to her? _'If Katherine every walked in and saw us...'_ He shook his head. _'No, I don't want to even think about that.'_

"Because I wanted to see you silly! You've been acting weird, so I wanted to make sure you were okay..."

"You did a great job of that by waking me up, thanks." Vincent rolled his eyes, letting the sarcasm drip from his words.

"Ah! I'm sorry." She whimpered apologetically. "I was trying to change into something more comfortable, but I lost my balance and fell on the bed. That's what must have woke you up..."

That's when he got a good look at her, realizing that she only had one leg in her pants. It gave him a great view of her pink, stripped panties. Blushing, he quickly turned his head, afraid to be caught staring. "Yeah, whatever." He scratched absently at the stubble on his cheek.

"Oh, but listen. We HAVE to see that new horror movie tomorrow!"

"Yeah, I don't know..."

"It's the last day! I don't know what I'll do if I don't see it, I'll probably die! Please!" The sultry blonde whined, her eyes growing wide and glossy as she begged him.

"Agh." He ran his hand threw his hair. "Fine, I guess."

"Yay! Hahaha, I'm so excited!" Catherine bounced excitedly, holding a pillow to her chest and giggling. "Hehehe."

"Ugh..." He sighed. _'What have I gotten myself into?'_

"Hehe, this is going to be our first date. It's going to be so much fun!"

"Uh, yeah..."


End file.
